Old Empire
Posted on May 8th, 2025 –
I remember walking by Empire Office Equipment many years ago when its Queen West storefront displayed quaint and dusty office hardware that had been stacked there, seemingly, for convenience rather than for display. The grimy windows and murky interior made it hard to see inside but it appeared to be packed with nicotine-infused business furniture and apparatus that weren’t modern even at that time.

The place didn’t ever look open to casual foot traffic or, for that matter, ever actually open at all. Posted business hours were nowhere to be found and given the stuff perennially piled up against the front door it now seems appropriate that all that remains today is found in an alley at the back.